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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26716969">astronomical inaccuracies</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaumari/pseuds/kaumari'>kaumari</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>ad astra per aspera [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Marriage Proposal, Not Canon Compliant, Outer Space, astronomy nerd kita, but only the slightest pinches of angst, god there is SO MUCH stuff about space i'm sorry, they're tender!! god damn they're so tender, unfortunately we couldn't make it canon compliant, you've never seen anyone more in love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 07:42:53</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>4,872</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26716969</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaumari/pseuds/kaumari</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>seasons change, and the stars change with. you change, and your love changes with. isn't that a beautiful coincidence? isn't it?</p><p>or; this is a relationship told by the stars and the seasons.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kita Shinsuke/Miya Atsumu</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>ad astra per aspera [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1971127</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>100</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>astronomical inaccuracies</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/toccoans/gifts">toccoans</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>WHAT'S UP i'm back with a gift fic for goobie bc med school is hard but reading about atsukita in love isn't &lt;3</p><p>this wasn't supposed to be this long but that's ok, the more the merrier. i spent an embarrassingly long time looking up a) constellation names, b) when they're visible, c) telescope models, and d) telescope mechanics. for that reason, i never want to write another space fic again. (what blatant lies ren, you have a space atsuoi fic in your drafts)</p><p>on that note, please enjoy!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <h2>
  <b>spring</b>
</h2><p> </p><p>
  <span>Atsumu is introduced to Kita’s passion for astronomy on a calm spring night, still on the winter side of chilly. It’s the night after graduation, and it’s fitting that the bite of the wind mimics the sting of loss in his heart. In these wide open hills, the wind has free reign, buffeting them however it wishes. Atsumu had given up on maintaining any semblance of style in his hair within a few minutes. He curls in on himself instead, trying to protect the little warmth he has.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kita-san, I know ya asked me ta come with ya because there’s somethin’ ya wanna tell me, but did it hafta be here?” He nervously eyes the bulky case Kita has been hauling this whole time. He can’t figure out what’s inside it, but it looks heavy. “And it’s gettin’ dark.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s why I told ya ta bring a jacket,” Kita says, turning his head back to raise an eyebrow at Atsumu. “It’s barely spring, and the nights are still cold.” Atsumu fights the urge to shiver and prove Kita right, even though his cotton long-sleeves aren’t nearly thick enough to keep out the night air.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’m fine,” he insists, and Kita stares at him for longer than entirely necessary to prove a point.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, we’re almost there. It’s more sheltered, so it shouldn’t be as cold. Although how yer gonna feel when we come back will be an experience for ya.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yer so cruel, Kita-san. Didn’t ya say I’m sensitive?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s no one here ta protect ya from. It’s an unfortunate mantle I must take up.” Feeling distinctly blindsided, Atsumu stares at Kita, mouth agape and eyes wide.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How could ya, Kita-san?” Kita snickers softly and looks forward once again, and Atsumu immediately forgives Kita in his heart of hearts. His laughter is too precious for Atsumu to truly stay mad. They come to a cluster of trees at the foot of the hill they’d been walking toward, and Kita leads him to a neatly cleared space between their trunks, where he sets down the case he’d been carrying.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, I need to assemble this, but I won’t take too long.” He watches curiously over Kita’s shoulder as he opens the case, revealing various shiny metal tubes. Atsumu whistles quietly as he watches Kita take out a tripod.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s some fancy gear, Kita-san. What is it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A telescope. It’s a little old, though. Granny got it for me on my thirteenth birthday, since I’d been talkin’ nonstop about the stars and galaxies I read about in my astronomy books. I take it out every now and then to shake off the rust, and this past year I’ve been comin’ here to examine the constellations through the seasons.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah.” Atsumu waits for Kita to finish, crouching next to him as he puts together what looks like the actual telescope part of the instrument, from his extremely limited knowledge of anything to do with space. Even after that, though, Kita keeps flitting around, adjusting knobs and sliding things around. None of it makes any sense to him, but he knows better now than to say that out loud.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright.” Kita pulls out a card from the case, circular and relatively large, around 20-some centimeters across if he really tries to peg a number to it. “There’s a particular constellation I wanted ta show ya, but I’m gonna need a moment to orient myself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Orient yerself?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kita hums. “The constellations seem ta shift as the Earth rotates around the sun. That’s why ya hafta find yer orientation first.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Huh.” The more you know, Atsumu supposes. He sits down and leans back on his arms, tilting his head up to the sky with more interest than before. “Say Kita-san, which one are ya lookin’ for?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Draco.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dragon?”</span>
  <span></span><br/>
<br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“Approximately. It’s visible all year, but as I’ve said, its position shifts.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why didja wanna show me this one?” Kita doesn’t answer immediately, choosing instead to finish aligning the moveable top for the card. He holds it up against the backdrop of the sky and nods to himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I thought about it. Draco is easy enough ta spot, although yer gonna need ta know where the reference constellations are.” Kita bends down and looks through a tiny lens mounted on top of the telescope. “When ya get lonely, ‘cause I know ya will, try findin’ it. I’ll be lookin’ at it too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Rude, Kita-san.” Atsumu doesn’t have the heart to say anything more. He’s touched that Kita has put this much thought into the night, and looking at the sky gives him an excuse to hide the tears forming in his eyes. “So how do I find it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“D’ya see the Child Bear?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ta the left and a slightly up, can ya find the head of Draco?” Atsumu squints up and searches for the faint pinpricks of light that supposedly make up the head of Draco. His neck aches from how long he’s had to keep it craned back.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Found it,” he announces, letting his head relax normally. Kita gestures for him to come to the telescope.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look through the eyepiece here. It’s the brightest star in the constellation. Eltanin.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Eltanin,” Atsumu mumbles, trying it on his tongue. A little unnatural, but most English words are. When he looks into the eyepiece, he does see a star, backdropped by ones even more distant. “I see it, Kita-san.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A different star in the constellation, Thuban, used ta be the North Star until the Earth’s axis shifted. And it’s also a binary system.” Atsumu makes confused ‘huh’ and looks over at Kita, eyebrows pinched and nose scrunched. “Ah, binary systems are two objects in space caught in each other’s gravitational pull. It can be two stars, a star and a black hole, or a star and a neutron. The Thuban system is two stars. The second one is too faint ta see with only a telescope this small.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah.” He looks back into the eyepiece and admires the glow of the star for a moment before pulling away. He takes a deep breath. “Thanks for doin’ this, Kita-san.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You’ll be a good captain, Atsumu,” Kita says, tucking the card back in the case. “I know yer worried about livin’ up ta my example, but yer not like me. Do what ya think is best for the team, ‘cause that’s all that matters.” Kita takes one of Atsumu’s hands in his own and gives him a beatific smile. “I look forward ta Nationals next year.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah. I’ll make ya proud, Kita-san.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
<h2>
  <b>winter</b>
</h2><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kita taps his boots against the side of his truck and pulls his scarf tighter around his neck as he pulls himself into the driver’s seat. Atsumu sits up from his slumped position in the passenger seat. “Are we leavin’ now? I thought ya’d never finish.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was gone for maybe five minutes, Atsumu.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And it felt like an eternity, Kita-san. What wouldja do if ya came back to a frozen corpse in yer truck?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d tell ya ta stop bein’ so dramatic.” Kita starts the engine fully and shifts the car into gear. “Ya looked at the planisphere?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mm, I did. I wanted ta check out Orion.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The hunter,” Kita muses. “I’m not surprised.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Atsumu snorts. “Yer not surprised by anythin’. I could say I wanted ta see the Big Dog and ya’d say the same thing.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Have ya ever looked up the story of Orion?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He has a story?” It’s an honest question. Atsumu didn’t think most of the constellations had any meaning beyond the animals they look like.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Orion was a mortal hunter. He was supposedly so great that the goddess Artemis allowed him to hunt with her, but his hubris got the best of him, and he promised to kill every animal on the earth ta show his strength. The earth goddess sent a scorpion ta kill him, and when he died, Artemis asked the god Zeus to put him amongst the stars.” Said stars blink curiously outside, and the only light in the cabin is the reflected glow of the headlights. Night falls early in winter, and the temperatures fall even faster.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Atsumu pretends it’s the cold that makes him shove his nose into his scarf. “Damn, Kita-san, ya really know how ta bring down the mood.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There was a mood?” He chuckles when Atsumu groans. “I didn’t mean anythin’ by it, Atsumu. There isn’t much ya have in common with the story. But ya do have a habit of makin’ outrageous promises.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not outrageous if I follow through on it,” he protests, pouting. “Yer so cruel today, Kita-san.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s not gonna mean anythin’ if ya keep sayin’ that. I might stop takin’ ya seriously.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As if ya take me seriously right now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Silence, the same kind that settles on the countryside in the dead of winter. Kita wordlessly pulls them over to the side of the visible road and puts the gear in park, and then sighs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you think I look down on you, Atsumu?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Atsumu’s neck cracks with how quickly he turns to look at Kita. “What? Why’re ya askin’ that, Kita-san?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It’s a bit difficult to tell when you’re being serious. I want to make sure I’m not overstepping.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Kita isn’t someone who gets insecure, not often, not about his own conduct. If Atsumu is making him question that, he must have sounded too honest, or too wounded, and of course Kita would latch on to that. It’s terrifyingly sweet how observant he is, because now Atsumu is floundering, trying to figure out how he can fix the situation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No—It’s not anythin’ ta do with ya, Kita-san, I’m sorry if I sounded like I meant it. I know it didn’t mean anythin’. Yer too nice and kind ta say somethin’ like that outta the blue.” There’s a lot of aimless hand-waving already, and even Atsumu has no idea what he’s doing it for. Kita sighs and leans back against his window to face Atsumu.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Even nice, kind people can make others feel bad. It’s not like I’m an angel all the time.” He frowns and adds, “If you’re feeling hurt, Atsumu, it doesn’t matter what my intentions were. Even if I’ve said something like that a hundred times before, that doesn’t mean it can’t hurt you now.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit shit shit.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He’s not sure how to explain himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’s not quite thinking when he reaches out to hold Kita’s hands. He’s wearing gloves, which was the smart thing to do. Atsumu hadn’t had the same foresight. “I’ve never felt like ya look down on me, Kita-san. Sure, I know ya used ta say I needed ta mature a bit in high school, but that’s not the same thing. Yer blunt and ya say it how it is, and I appreciate that. It’s—” he searches for the right word and straightens when he finds it, “—integral ta keep me in check, ya know? And if I ever have a problem with that, I’ll sit ya down just like this, yeah? Ya know how I am, I wouldn’t let it slide.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kita huffs and turns his attention to their hands. “No, ‘course ya wouldn’t.” They sit in silence until Kita untangles their hands and reaches for the glove compartment on Atsumu’s side of the car. “I knew you would forget yer gloves. Ya always underestimate how cold it’ll be.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t need ta worry, I have Kita-san ta watch out for me!” The gloves are a perfect fit, as he expects, and he wiggles them playfully at Kita as he puts the car back in gear. “See, Kita-san, I knew you would take care of me.” Kita smiles softly, even as his eyes refuse to stray from the road. Crisis averted, Atsumu thinks, satisfied, and leans back contentedly to watch the snow-capped scenery fly by.</span>
</p><p> </p>
<h2>
  <b>fall</b>
</h2><p> </p><p>
  <span>The house isn’t quiet, not exactly. Atsumu isn’t a terribly quiet person to begin with, what with all the noise he’s making while tracking back and forth between rooms, searching for a shirt or shoes or any other number of miscellaneous items he suddenly decided he absolutely must have, on the off chance they would ever be needed in Italy. Still, there’s a silence that stretches between him and Kita, unfathomable in its depth even if it’s only a few meters across. It’s horrible; he hates how he turns on instinct to tell Kita something and catches himself halfway through the motion, already opening his mouth to say what’s on his mind before he shuts it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s not like they’re fighting. This isn’t a fight, even if their avoidance says otherwise. But it’s hard to say goodbye. And it’s even harder knowing they won’t see each other in person, not even for a stolen weekend in Hyōgo or Osaka, for over a year. It’s one year as a reserve for one of the top Italian league teams, based in Treia, and it’ll be the longest they’ve ever been apart. Video calling exists, and international messaging fees are hardly a problem, but it’s still straining. They’re both so physical—what’ll it be like to not have the opportunity to touch each other? If they get lonely, all they have is a grainy picture of the other on their phone screen for comfort. How could that ever compare to the real thing?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As it is, they don’t know. They won’t know until Atsumu is 9,463 kilometers across the world, and it’s just the slightest bit nerve-wracking.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s more than a bit nerve-wracking, actually. He isn’t entirely sure he knows how to string a thought together right now, much less say anything coherent. The box sitting in the closet, however, is telling him he has no choice in the matter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is there something you need in the closet, Atsumu?” He starts violently, dropping the travel case carrying all his toiletries. Kita winces lightly when it hits the ground, but his expression doesn’t change otherwise. “You keep looking at it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No, it’s not somethin’ I need,” Atsumu starts, and then decides he might as well bite the bullet while he’s at it. “It’s a gift, actually. For you.” Slow it down, take a deep breath. Think of it like setting up the perfect toss—everything falls into place on instinct.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A gift?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah.” Atsumu slides open the closet door and takes out the long package, carefully wrapped in brown paper to obscure what’s inside. “Ya don’t hafta open it now, but—”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“—Why wouldn’t I want to open it now?” Kita’s eyes bore into his when he looks up. “What makes you think that?” That makes him pause and avert his eyes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don’t know,” Atsumu answers honestly. “I know yer not mad at me, but I don’t think yer particularly happy about the situation.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Being unhappy with you and being unhappy with the situation are two different things.” Ah, the cold logic had finally come out again. It’s almost a relief, if he’s honest, to hear it from Kita.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He’s prepared this time. “But they’re related. If yer upset about one thing, it’s natural ta be upset about the other.” Kita tilts his head.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That’s true.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ha, so I am right sometimes!” Atsumu exclaims, then remembers that the whole reason they’d been on thin ice and reins himself in. “Sorry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don’t be.” There’s a gentle tilt to Kita’s head. “You do have good ideas, Atsumu. It just so happens Osamu brings out the worst in ya. Let’s see what’s inside, hm?” He sits down in front of the package and begins to twist it around, trying to find the edges of the paper. He fiddles with the corners of the tape, then peels the top off in one neat section, perfectly untorn.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Atsumu expects the stunned silence from Kita when he sees what’s inside. The truth of the matter is that he’s a little selfish. He wants Kita to be reminded of him when he wants to look at the stars, the same way Atsumu stares up at Draco when he’s able to get away from city lights at an away game. When he looks at the clouds of dust in faraway galaxies, nebulae and supernovae alike, will Kita think of him? Atsumu can only hope.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“14 inches,” Kita mumbles to himself. “Still easy to carry.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mhm.” It had been one of the most important factors Atsumu had considered over the past few months, ever since he got the confirmation in July. It wouldn’t be much use if they couldn’t take it out into the countryside to stargaze.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My old one was workin’ fine.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sure, but ya talked about wanting ta see nebulae more clearly. Greater aperture and focal lengths mean yer able to see things with higher sharpness and brightness, yeah?” He snorts when Kita’s brows pinch together. “I had ta do a bit of research. I didn’t understand anythin’ I was lookin’ at.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ya went through a lot of trouble for this,” Kita says softly, running his hand down the length of the package. “Why?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sometimes I like ta spoil ya, Kita-san.” Atsumu smiles regretfully. “I won’t be able ta do that very easily for a while. I thought this could make up for a year of lost chances, ya know?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yer not leavin’ permanently,” Kita responds, not sharply but with a certain hard edge. “So don’t talk like yer at my funeral.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yer right, Kita-san, I would be much sadder at yer funeral.” Kita clicks his tongue and Atsumu instinctively ducks his head, laughing. “Sorry, sorry.” Already, it feels like it’s easier to breathe. The weight on Atsumu’s chest that came with dancing around Kita for the entire day had lifted with the return of their typical banter. Kita taps his fingers rhythmically on the telescope package and stares at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know ya feel guilty about it.” Atsumu straightens his posture, the blood already rushing to his ears. It’s been years, and he’s still caught off guard when Kita calls him out on his thoughts. “But this is what you’ve been workin’ for. That’s what these are for.” He pulls Atsumu’s hand into his, tracing the callouses on them, earned from long days, months, and years. Kita’s own rough hands are comforting in their certainty, that hard work reaps rewards.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So stop thinkin’ yer leavin’ me behind.” Kita’s eyes are practically honey gold in the sunlight. If Atsumu were to look outside, he would see the sunset in all its glory. If he keeps looking ahead, he will see it silhouetting Kita like every angel he claims he isn’t. There isn’t any competition for his attention.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ok.” If he could only take a picture—but why couldn’t he? There was no reason he couldn’t ask his boyfriend for a memento of their time together, to hold against his chest when the nights got too long to handle. “Kita-san, can I take yer picture? For the road?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Strange way of askin’ yer boyfriend for a picture.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that a yes?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Course.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It’s beautiful, as Atsumu suspected it would be. Kita Shinsuke, soft in the setting sun’s light, haloed by a glow that is practically sinful, as if an angel isn’t meant to be kept frozen in time. It will never compare to the real thing, but all masterpieces of art are only facsimiles of their inspiration.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There’s a clear sky tonight.” He’s interrupted from his musings by Kita, who has already finished opening the package in the time he took to examine the picture. “What d’ya say we try it out?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“One last viewing for the road?” Atsumu asks, to be sure. Always be sure, because the opposite is worthless. Hesitation is something he’d grown out of over the past few years.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I won’t be usin’ this much for the next year.” </span>
  <em>
    <span>I don’t want to stargaze without you</span>
  </em>
  <span> is the underlying meaning, and Atsumu’s eyes burn. “And there’s a nebula in the Andromeda constellation yer only able ta see in summer.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ya know just how ta make a guy feel special, sayin’ things like that,” Atsumu jokes, already standing and reaching out a hand for Kita to take. There’s an easy, fond smile on his face, marred by only the slightest downturn of his eyes. They’re both sad in that way you have to be when the one you love has to leave, and every limited moment until then is precious to both.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Makes sense.” Kita reaches for the truck keys. “Yer pretty special to me. Let’s go, I’d like ta have enough light to see by as I set up.”</span>
</p><p> </p>
<h2>
  <b>summer</b>
</h2><p> </p><p>
  <span>Atsumu tugs on Kita’s hand in his, pulling his boyfriend’s attention toward him as they reach the top of the hill. “Hold on Kita-san, I wanna put it together this time.” Kita tilts his head curiously as he looks at him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are ya sure ya know how to?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Atsumu grins, trying to hide how nervous his smile is at the edges. “Course! I’ve watched ya do it plenty of times.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Watchin’ isn’t the same as doin’, Atsumu.” Despite his words, Kita willingly hands the telescope case to Atsumu. “Be careful.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes, Kita-san, I’ll be as careful as if it were my own child.” Atsumu’s mouth snaps shut as he looks away, trying to hide the sudden blush creeping over his cheeks. He’s getting ahead of himself yet again. </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘One step at a time, Atsumu. Get a grip.’</span>
  </em>
  <span> He focuses his attention on the task at hand and starts setting up the tripod stand. He has to check with Kita about the finer alignment, but otherwise he’s able to set it up smoothly and move on to the counterweight. After that comes the optical tube, with the objective and Barlow, and here Atsumu’s hands get a little nervous. The Barlow lens nearly slips out of his hands, but he finds his grip at the last moment and manages to secure both in place. The finderscope is in place, the telescope is aligned north and balanced, and now everything is out of his hands.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>One quick check in the eyepieces shows him everything is ready, and he casually waves Kita over from where he’s taken a seat on nearby rocks. “Kita-san, it’s ready. Wanna take a look?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It looks like ya did it right,” Kita remarks, sliding cleanly off the rocks and dusting himself off. “At least nothin’s fallin’ over.” He takes over from Atsumu at the eyepiece, and Atsumu takes the opportunity to sneak the box in his pocket into his palm.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As expected, Kita looks up with a frown as soon he gets the focus fine-tuned to his liking. “There’s a bunch of dots obscuring the lens view. Didja see anythin’ on them when you were puttin’ it together?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah, I must’ve missed them, Kita-san.” Kita huffs lightly and begins to disassemble the optical tube. When he examines the optical lens, he announces, “Nothin’ on this one. Must be the Barlow then.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, must be,” Atsumu echoes. He’s trying to keep calm, but despite the fact that they’ve already talked about marriage and concluded they were in a good spot for it, he’s still jittery. Kita twists the Barlow lens out of the tube and holds it up to the fading light of the sunset, turning his back to Atsumu in the process.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>That’s his cue. He takes a knee, waiting anxiously for Kita to turn around again. He holds the lens up higher. “Huh, they look like stickers. In the shape of something…,” Kita continues, beginning to turn around. “It looks like Cygnus.” He’s facing him fully now, lowering his gaze along with the lens. His eyes catch Atsumu’s figure kneeling on the ground.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kita drops the Barlow lens. As soon as it hits the ground, Atsumu forgoes any commitment to romance as he scrambles to pick it up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Shit, Kita-san, ‘m sorry I startled ya, ya dropped yer lens ‘cause of me and—”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“—Yes.” Atsumu freezes, the lens nearly slipping out of </span>
  <em>
    <span>his</span>
  </em>
  <span> hands. He can’t look at any part of Kita beyond his shoes. They’re his work boots, great for trekking into the mountains, unlike Atsumu’s own sneakers. At least they’re beat up enough that it barely matters now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yes. I’ll marry you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I–huh?” His gaze shoots up to Kita’s face, and then he blinks at him slowly. “I haven’t even asked ya the question?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But you were about to.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Atsumu pouts. “But that’s not fair, Kita-san! Ya aren’t allowed ta say yes if I haven’t gotten the chance to ask. I’ve practiced a lot and everythin’!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Atsumu, ya would’ve messed up anyway.” Kita’s laughter, bright and happy, escapes when Atsumu gives him the most wounded expression he can manage, hands full of a ring box and telescope lens. “Yer not good with yer words, so ya would’ve gone off on a tangent despite it all, but yer earnest, and I think that’s more important anyway.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Atsumu’s pout becomes a confused frown. “Somehow I feel like ya just insulted me and complimented me in the same breath. Do ya want me to ask or not?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kita hums thoughtfully as he plucks the Barlow lens out of Atsumu’s hands and examines the sticker pattern. “Well, ya’ve worked so hard, it’d be a tragedy if ya didn’t. I’d never hear the end of it if I didn’t give you a chance.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow, Kita-san, ya sound so excited ta become a married man.” His tone drips sarcasm, but that doesn’t stop him from opening the ring box and taking a deep breath, staying upright this time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kita-san, first off I’m really sorry I made ya drop yer lens—no, stop smiling, this isn’t a tangent! I’m just concerned!” Kita waves at him to go on as he masks his smile. “Anyway. As I was gonna say, ya’ve been so good for me, Kita-san. And I know I tell ya that all the time, but ya made me see everything differently. The bigger picture, how the small things can have the biggest impacts. I’m really grateful. Every day, I’m reminded of that, and I can’t imagine living without ya ta continue expandin’ my horizons. Literally, ‘cause we come out here every season ta look at the stars. But they can’t hold a candle to ya, not even those supernovae ya’ve shown me. I’ve said it a lot of times, Kita-san, but I’d want nothing more than ta spend the rest of my life with you. And if ya feel the same, will ya marry me?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At complete odds with his previous conviction, Kita scrunches his nose at him thoughtfully and taps his cheek with his forefinger. “Nyeh, I don’t know, Atsumu.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Kita-san,” Atsumu whines back, and that’s all it takes for Kita’s smile to appear again.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course I want to marry ya Atsumu.” Kita’s eyes twinkle as he holds up the Barlow lens. “You were more concerned about this lens than yer own proposal after all.” Atsumu covers his face with the hand he isn’t holding the ring box with and turns his face away.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Will ya stop teasin’ me already!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But yer adorable when yer face gets all red,” Kita continues, stepping forward to gently pry his hand off his face. He holds his hand carefully, rubbing his thumb in circles on Atsumu’s palm. “I think it was a fine proposal.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>If anything, Atsumu blushes even harder. “Not cool, Kita-san. I can’t ever get ya ta blush.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not with pretty words ya can’t.” He presses a kiss to Atsumu’s palm and then tips his head pointedly at the ring box. “Are ya gonna put it on me now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So demandin’,” Atsumu complains fondly, taking Kita’s hands and sliding the ring on. They both take a moment to admire it there—a simple platinum band, barely half a centimeter thick, with a thin band of blue and purple in the center, perfectly unobtrusive. “I didn’t want it to interfere with yer work.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“‘Course ya didn’t.” Kita stays where he is, still fixated on the ring and slowly spinning it on his finger, even as he continues with, “It’s past sunset.” The backdrop of the mountains had been steadily turning the same color as the ring’s center band, plunging them in its receding glow and the light of the faraway galaxies.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hm. Where do ya wanna point the telescope at today?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think the Cygnus constellation is beautiful this time of year. What d’ya say?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why that one?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I just think I should show ya what Deneb looks like.” Kita holds up the lens again, showing off the constellation Atsumu had made out of dot stickers. “This is an astronomically inaccurate impression.” Atsumu snorts and takes the lens from Kita to put it back on the telescope.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course ya’d say that, Kita-san. Only you would find the astronomical inaccuracies of my proposal.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ya wouldn’t want me any other way.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>No, Atsumu thinks, he wouldn’t. It’s Kita, endless astronomical facts and all, that’s brought him under this vast sky, finding beauty even in the unattainable. There’s little more he could ask for.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>‘One step at a time, Atsumu.’</span>
  </em>
  <span> For now, they aim their telescope at Cygnus, and the ring on Kita’s finger glints brighter than any star above.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>find me on <a href="https://twitter.com/kaumaridevi">twitter</a> + <a href="https://curiouscat.me/kaumaridevi">curiouscat</a>!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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